My teeth ground on each other. I bit out, “Just fucking tell me everything so I don’t have to come back and push for more answers. No matter what you’re acting like, I know you hate this as much as I do.”

Blaise’s smirk remained, but his eyes darkened, flashing.

Oh yeah. The prick wanted to fight just as much as I did. Sometimes I think he wanted to fight more than I did. I was known for holding my own back in Roussou, my entire crew was, but the one time Blaise and I did trade blows, he held his own. The fucker could punch. My ribs hurt for two weeks, and I hadn’t gotten a good swing in on his ribs. I aimed mostly for his face, though I was a lot prettier.

He paused, facing me. The smirk was gone.

I rallied, not knowing what to expect. If he would throw a punch or drop the act, either way, I needed to be ready. Then he said, “The guy’s name is Tim Harper. He’s one of Zeke’s brothers, so you’ll never get his name out of Zeke. Me, I’m not in their fraternity, and I happen to think Harper’s one of the biggest sleazes around. Why your boy’s ex was macking with him, I have no clue. I’m not over there much, but when I am, I’ve not heard any talk.”

“Did Zeke say how long Tabatha was with the guy that night? Did she sleep with him?”

Blaise was quiet.

“Blaise.”

“Don’t,” he snapped, his eyes flaring. “Zeke is my best friend. I know you guys have an opinion about him, and I can see why you do, but he’s unconditionally my best friend. He’s at my side when no one has been, so I’m not sure how the fuck to walk this line.”

He was shutting down. He was picking his side. And it most definitely wasn’t mine.

“So she did sleep with him, and,” and I was still gauging my brother’s silence and what he wasn’t telling me, “Zeke knew. He didn’t say she slept with him, just that she was making out with him.”

Blaise’s eyes got hard. “Do not put my best friend in the middle of this shit. You do, and there’s war again. I will pick him over you any fucking day of the week. Got it?”

My blood cooled. Yeah. I got it.

“Now I know, huh?”

Images of shoving him in the pavement were still fresh, still rallying in me.

I was starting to forget why I couldn’t do that.

“Now you know.” His jaw clenched. “I’m surprised you haven’t rounded him up, to be frank. I’m loyal to Zeke, not to that piece of shit Harper.” He gave me another pointed glare before walking ahead, and I had to stop.